Over the years, I have found that world changers are humanitarians by nature. Their dreams, in some form or another, are meant to make the lives of others a little better. Sometimes they affect the lives of very specific communities and other times they affect the world at large. Most of us will be making smaller contributions, but those smaller contributions add up to some pretty big changes over time.

What do you foresee as the significance of your dream? Don’t be tempted to downplay it. Your dream has both worth and significance.

Let’s look at three areas you should consider when deciding on the significance of your dream.

I want to do something significant …

For myself

Friend, God has been so good to me, better than I deserve and I want to give back out of gratitude. I bet you feel the same way. A faithful follower of Christ always wants to show thankfulness to God and do their upmost best for Him. Who doesn’t want to hear: “Well done, good and faithful servant?” (Matthew 25:23 NIV)

Paul is one of the best examples of this. He expressed his gratitude to God over and over for just being a small part of God’s plan. He expressed gratitude for the people who supported him and his work. And he was grateful for the body of Christ at large. Paul wanted to do something significant so he could show himself worthy to God and he certainly accomplished that mission!

You, world changer, are someone of significance because God has created you to be.

“If only you could sense how important you are to the lives of those you meet; how important you can be to people you may never even dream of. There is something of yourself that you leave at every meeting with another person” Fred Rogers.

Never underestimate your significance.

For others

My greatest joy is serving others. Following Jesus’ example of servant leadership is important to me. Being a change agent in someone else’s life gets me up in the morning. Jesus said: “The greatest among you will be your servant.” (Matthew 23:11 NLT)

Who do you want to reach? What type of transformation do you want to bring about in the lives of others? These are great questions to ponder as you contemplate the significance of your dream.

Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: “What are you doing for others?” Martin Luther King, Jr.

With others

We are made for community, and we can accomplish more together than apart. Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 12:12: “Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.” (NIV)

Not only do you need a dream team, but you also need connections. Partnering with others is the best way to get your dream off the ground and then sustain it. Finding the right partners is important because misalignment is exhausting and frustrating. When seeking partnerships, make sure that you seek out people who have the same mindset and values as you. If these two things don’t align, it will not matter what kind of resources they are holding.

“Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.” Henry Ford

As we close out this series on evaluating our readiness to chase our dreams, there is one last thing I would ask you to consider: What will your legacy be?

Leave a Legacy

Have you given much thought to how you will be remembered once you are gone?

Some famous celebrities have given us a smile at their departure from earth and at the same time reminded us of their legacies. For instance, Rodney Dangerfield’s epitaph reads “There goes the neighborhood” and Jackie Gleason’s tombstone states: “And away we go.”

Other notable figures in history, such as Ronald Regan, have left us with more serious thoughts in which to convey their legacies. His epitaph reads: “I know in my heart that man is good, that what is right will always eventually triumph, and there is purpose and worth to each and every life.”

The truth of the matter is whether we want to claim a legacy or not, we all have one that we will leave behind. Jim Rohn once said: “All good men and women must take responsibility to create legacies that will take the next generation to a level we could only imagine.”

For me, I want to be remembered as the girl who, while reaching up to obtain her goals, also reached back to pull another woman up. Honestly, if that’s what people remember about me, I would be thrilled. I would also like to be known as an influencer who started an international sisterhood that truly loves and builds future generations of women entrepreneurs and leaders. This is my dream legacy!

“The great men and women of history were not great because of what they earned and owned. They were great because they gave themselves to people and causes that lived beyond them. Their dream was to do something that benefited others.” John Maxwell

Hey world changer, what’s your legacy going to be? You’ve got some thinking to do!